Phoneography Challenge: Sharing secrets

Good morning from a lovely Hastings morning.

The third Monday in November.  It is only  weeks to Christmas.  A scary thought.

Anyway it is time to show some black and white photos for Sally’s challenge:

http://lensandpensbysally.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-and-non-slr-digital-photo-challenge-black-and-white-town-and-gown/

I have shown these fairies before as colour in a previous post but I love them in black and white. They are from my mothers garden.

They look like they are sharing a secret in the garden.

From the looks on his face it looks like he is saying something naughty and the girl is being shy or coy about it.

http://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-and-non-slr-photo-challenge-black-and-white-along-the-wabash-trace/

http://completelydisappear.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/a-fresh-market/

http://irisgreenwald.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-and-non-slr-digital-photo-challenge-black-and-white-2/

http://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/phoneography-black-and-white-food-for-thought/

Thanks for visiting.

Cee’s Oddball Challenge: Week 29

Good morning from a chilly but sunny Hastings.

Another week has flown by and it is time for Cee’s Oddball Challenge.

This photo was again taken in my mother’s garden.  There is such a treasure trove of little ornaments to find.  These are so adorable.  I wonder what they are whispering about?

Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge: Week 29

http://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/cees-oddball-photo-challenge-week-29/

http://nowathome.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/cees-odd-ball-photo-challenge-week-29/

http://irisgreenwald.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/cees-oddball-photo-challenge-week-29/

Thanks for visiting.

Mandarin Orange Monday: 70

     Mandarin Orange Monday 70      

Good morning from another sunny Hastings.

 Well a new week has rolled around.  I swear that time speeds up the older we get.  Anyway I am on time with the challenge by LorikArt.  I found these photos as I scrolled through my archives for something different today.

So as usual I went to FX Photostudio Pro just to emphasise the areas I wanted to focus on.

I find that some of the filters can edit out some unwanted background.

Then it was over to Photoshop for more editing to get to the final orange image.

It is fun to see how the images become almost like science fiction compared to the original photos.  I can’t say what I did but just went with the feel of the photos.  So if something didn’t appeal to me, then there is always the undo button to click.  Ah the joys of digital photography.  Aaaaah.  Love it.

An Elf among the Bluebells

Good morning from a sunny and warm Hastings day.

I have been working on my Photoshop skills lately.  I found this book with CD ROM of designs for fairies and elves and thought it a great way to learn more about Photoshop Elements and working with layers.  I did find using a tablet a lot more satisfying that with a mouse.  I can magnify it and then work on it with more accuracy.  This is a Canterbury bells Elf.  I used different layers to add the shading and to give it a roundness to the figure.  I then used the feathering lasso to fade out the periphery in order to make it come out in the photo a bit better.

I searched through my archives to find a good photo and found these bluebells with a lone tulip.

It was over to All Vintage Studio for a old photo look.

Back to Photoshop to adjust the tone to a blue tone and then I added the elf.  It would have been better to have Canterbury Bells around but I haven’t found any so the bluebells had to do.

I used the photos taken by the girls early last century who faked the fairy photos as my inspiration.  Today we can do a far better job of combining fantasy with reality.  So this is my humble effort.  Any comments on how to improve merging photos would be greatly appreciated.

Ese’s Weekly Shoot and Quote Challenge – Intangible

 

Good morning from a grey Hastings morning.

This week the challenge by Ese’ s Voice is intangible.  So this is my quote.

“Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible.  No one can take them.  You, and you alone, can give them.  You will receive abundance for your giving.”

W, Clement Stone

For these photos I used the All Vintage Studio app to edit them.  I wanted a will o’the wisp feel to them.  But when I looked up the meaning for that it meant to be lead astray.  Actually I was thinking of having something that is there but delicate and hard to grasp. So I chose these fairies.  Well that is what I call them, they are light and float around, but end up getting caught up on branches.

Then there are these dandelions.

These fairies are like life.  We can float around but we will inevitably come into contact with other people. It is what we do with that contact that matters.  Like the quote says, it is up to you alone how you regard others around you.  You don’t know what impact you can make on others lives.